So here is the deal, so currently I am a college student with no money. Sure I get money from the military but that is basically just enough to get by. I always wanted a Wrangler but my parents were optimistic because my neighbor had one who always got drunk and rolled it. So finally last summer before leaving for training at Ft. Knox, I got the ok to get a jeep. I found one at a dealer for $7000. It was a 2000 blue wrangler completely stock with a 2.5Lt engine (little did I know about the big 4.0) and it only had about 60000 miles on it.

So here it is the day I got it.

Next I put some sound in it. After working for Circuit City for a while in their Firedog department (car audio installation) I needed sound. Especially when i found out how loud it was driving in a soft top. So I put a new head unit in and some new speakers.

There are also kickers in the front but i forgot to take pics of them.

After coming back from Ft. Knox I started school again in Mankato, MN. After seeing the aftermath of what kind of winter Mankato has, the hunt began for a Hard top. Finally found one on craigslist for 600 bucks and was satisfied. The only down side was that It was in Madison, WI, my home town, which is about a 6 hour drive back....

Next came tires. I got some old 31x10.5x15 from my roommate which were completely bald but none the less had a better look. As soon as the down poor of snow came though, I quickly realized that I needed a new set. So my roommate showed me a site that sold retreaded tires. I did some research and found that Tredritetires.com looked legit and it was half the cost of a reg tire.

Next my brother drilled out a pool ball for my jeep and stuck it on my stickshift. Worked out pretty good. I also stuck a CB radio in there....its a long drive home to Mad town so its nice to talk to truckers and find out whats going on traffic wise.

Next, I went on to Rustys Offroad and ordered a air intake with a throttle body spacer. Its sounds pretty damn cool.

Other than that, I have taken off those stupid milk jugs off my bumpers and installed an aircraft seatbelt for the drivers side. I got it free from my friend who works at an airport and it is awesome. Got a hi-lift jack and soon to get a winch. Other than that, the jeep is pretty stock.

I have realized that my jeep is a money pit and it is killing my savings. I think the biggest problem is coming on to this forum and looking what you guys have done to your jeeps . My GF even complains that I love my jeep more than her... but o well.

Future plans:

3in lift
Front bumper
winch
lockers
I am sure there will be a lot more.

my dads (basically mine because I do all the damn work on it!) is also a 2000 4 banger 5spd.

my theory is that the 4.10 gearing makes the 4 cyl pretty even to the 6cyl 5spd with the 3.07 stock gearing. Maybe not in acceleration, but probably in top speed.

Ok anyways, I went with the Rough Country 2.5 inch lift. I think it rides great and it was only like $300 with a steering stabilizer. I also went with a daystar 1 inch body lift. really just got this because it replaces all the old rubber mounts with poly. BEST body lift you can buy by far, should be factory equipment.

I really wouldn't build it up much because it will never have enough power. You can run 33's, and be ok. but much bigger then that its just not worth it.

Thanks guys. I think 33's will be the biggest I go. I just didn't know if that size tire would make the jeep slow as hell. I mean it already is a ***** going up hills and down shifting 24/7. I will def check into the 2.5in lift as well as the body lift. Damn i got to stop putting goodies on this thing and pay it off lol

Jeep looks good bud - it's nice and clean, wish I could keep mine looking clean still. As far as tires and gears go 33s are doable with the 4cyl and 5 spd but wld be rough. 31s are really the biggest u would want to go without much power loss. I ran 33s with 3.07s for a year or so, it was fine just didn't have much of a crawl ratio Offroad and no 5th gear on the highway

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yeah i will prob just stick with 31's then. Thanks for all the advice though. What size lift did you get again? and does it effect your driving on highways?

ive got 2.5" coils and a 1" body lift on 35s - and yes, any modifications effect how it drives. My jeep can go 80mph down the highway just fine, however its not quite as comfortable as when stock, which is to be expected - but hell, its a jeep

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starting out good. good luck with her and take it wheeling. the four is pretty amazing in the woods. wish i had a 4 banger

idk if i would agree with that. my friend has a 4.0 wrangler that he took on the trails with me and it seemed as though he could just trudge through everything just fine. Going up the muddy inclines was the worst. I had it in 4H and he had it in like 4L. I mean I can't think of anything positive about the 4 banger. it has no power, it gets the same kind of gas milage and prob worse than the 4.0 now that i have over sized tires on my jeep.